Past Newsletters

Vol 2 No 6

Once Upon a Time

It is believed that when the land masses of the Southern Hemisphere were one continent, the Proteaceae family was evolving and flourishing right along with the dinosaurs! As this continent began to breakup and drift apart, the Proteaceae continued to thrive in Africa, while their cousins the banksias moved with Australia. The Proteaceae are an ancient family, probably one of the oldest groups of flowering plants. Scientific probes into the early history of plant life have shown that the ancestors of today's Protea were present 300 million years ago!

One of the Oldest Flowering Plants on Earth

In 1735 Linnaeus, the father of classification and botanical nomenclature, named a flower, Protea, after the Greek god, Proteus. In Greek mythology, Proteusis the son of Poseidon, god of the sea, and the keeper of his seals. Proteus knew all things past, present, and future, and was able to change his shape at will to avoid being asked questions about the future. Each day at noon Proteus would rise from the sea and sleep in the shade of the rocks on the island of Pharos in Egypt with his seals lying around him. Persons wishing to learn the future had to catch hold of him at that time and hold on as he assumed dreadful shapes, including those of wild animals and terrible monsters. If all his ruses proved unavailing, Proteus resumed his usual form and told the truth.

The protea was named after this Greek god, because this treasure offers a breathtaking diversity of shapes, sizes, hues and textures to create more than 1,400 varieties worldwide. Genera belonging to this family all have the same basic flower, yet are so different in form. In the recent years, the Protea Pink Ice has become a most popular cultivar. It has medium sized blooms of Salmon Pink with a silvery white sheen.

Where Does Your Garden Grow?

Today, the family of Proteaceae are best represented in South Africa along the south and south western coastal mountain ranges. There are some 329 known species of Proteaceae in South Africa, including Protea, your Pink Ice flowers, and Leucospermum, your Pincushion flowers. In Africa the flowers were mostly harvested in the wild, but in recent years many flower plantations have sprung up for commercial growing. Not all species are commercially viable for one reason or the other.

Protea is also grown commercially in Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Spain, South America, Hawaii and California. As you can see from these growing areas, Protea is more of a Mediterranean-grown exotic flower than a tropical flower, although the Hawaiian growers have just about succeeded in getting most of the floral industry to believe Protea is a tropical flower! There are more than 1,400 different varieties represented, but only about 150 are of commercially use. These colorful flowers range in size from 2 to 12 inches in diameter, and they come in just about every color but blue. You will find them growing on both small and large bushes, about 3 feet to over fifteen feet, and others that have underground stems and crawl on the ground.

About forty years ago, these beautiful flowers were first grown in the United States in San Diego North County, as well as some ranches in the Santa Barbara area. They were later grown in Hawaii. The climate and soil in these places most nearly duplicates their natural habitat. Proteas (Pink Ice) and leucospermum (Pincushions) are available from California almost all year. The main bloom times are fall, winter and spring, with some of the King Proteas blooming into summer. Most growers in California are small farmers with 5 acres or less, but there are also several large ranches. These stunning flowers are shipped from here all over the United States, and to Japan and Europe.

The Perfect Flower

What do Floral Professionals look for in the perfect flower? It should be colorful, interesting, long lasting, easy to handle, and have a good vase life. The remarkable Protea and the eye-catching Pincushion are two of the very few flowers that can meet all of these expectations!

"What do I do with that?" is a common response from anyone who has never arranged similar flowers. Granted, these flowers don't complement sweet peas and other more delicate flowers, but designers who swear by them say they are the most versatile flowers in their mix. "It's a filler flower, a focal flower and a line flower all in one," says David Strong, AIFD, of Piano Flowers and Gifts in Memphis, Tennessee. Strong has been using exotic flowers for about ten years, mainly in his commercial and high-end work, "It's not for the meat and potatoes market, but it's great if you're trying to go after the higher-end market or just make yourself stand out." The diversity you can add to your floral pallet by using the Proteaceae family is simply unlimited. And if the extended vase life of these flowers and foliages, usually ten to fifteen days, is not good enough for you… well then, you can dry them!

They Don't Die, They Dry!

Let your creativity have a field day! Possibly because of their size, Proteas and Pincushions are sometimes thought to be hard to work with. But large exotic arrangements always steal the show, and they can bring you a special satisfaction when you use them as a creative medium. Just forget rules... in fact, make up your own! If you use shorter stems you can use these flowers to make striking table arrangements, and they can be combined with more conventional flowers that have a similar size head. Try using a container that isn't normally thought of as a vase. Make more than one arrangement by focusing on line and simplicity. GO FOR IT!

Don't Throw Them Away!

Usually Protea will dry without shedding leaves or petals. They will look so striking in your dried flower arrangements and they will last for many years. Some of the color will remain, but mostly they will go to tan shades. When the blooms have reached the end of their fresh life, just remove the water and put them in an out of the way place for about three weeks. You may stand them in vase or hang them upside down, but don't lay them on a flat surface or in a pile or they will assume an unnatural shape.

Protect Your Exotic Blooms

Usually the grower removes the flowers from his field in the cool of the morning, bringing them into water and shade within 45 minutes. The sturdy stems have the lower leaves removed, then are placed in a clean bucket with the correct amount of floral preservative. These thirsty flowers are then whisked to the cooler, (40 degrees to 42 degrees F with a humidity of 90 to 95 percent) where they are allowed to drink the acid based water in order to replenish them from the ordeal of harvest.

Although they look especially hardy (and they are, when they get appropriate care), these lovely aristocrats have very special needs. Because of the complexity of the flower head, Protea have a very high respiratory requirement to complete the development of the flower. Protea also have the need, as some children do, to leave the light on while resting. The lack of light is a major cause of leaf blackening. Rough handling by crushing, breaking or damaging the foliage and stem, will release tannins into the water that also could turn the leaves black. And almost all of the Proteaceae family will react to an absence of food or sugar, thus drawing from the reserves in the leaves. Now that you have custody of these beauties…

• Re-cut the stems one inch. Usually it's better to use a sharp knife, rather than scissors… you'll get a cleaner cut that will not crush the water pathways. Also it's better is you can do this under water so there won't be any air blockages that would shorten the life of your flowers considerably.
  
• Place them loosely in a clean bucket in about four inches water containing the right amount of commercial preservative that is packaged with your flowers. Measure it because too much is not good for any flowers. Later you can add this water to your vase. Make sure no leaves are under water.
  
• Keep them in a well-lit area for 1 to 1½ hours to let them recover from the ordeal of traveling.
  
• Once they start smiling again, you can make an arrangement or two. Use the fresh flower food as directed. Remember these flowers like light 24 hours a day, but keep them out of the direct sunlight, and they will keep their fresh look much longer.
  
• If at any time the water gets even slightly cloudy, this means bacteria is destroying your flowers! Immediately replace the water. Wash off the bacteria from the stems under running water and recut.
  
• Make sure you add water as needed, and change the water every 4 to 5 days.

If you run out of the food, since these flowers will last longer than most others with the right care, add approximately 1/4 teaspoon of household bleach per quart of water. The bleach will prevent the growth of algae that would clog the water channels in the stem.

Want to Know More?

The International Protea Association was the brainchild of the late Peter Mathews of Australia and resulted from the realization that there were numerous people around the world interested in Protea cultivation. The International Protea Association (IPA) now embraces both the Australian and African varieties. A biennial Conference is arranged every second year, each time in a different region. The 10th IPA Conference was held in Tenerife (Spain) in April 2000, and the next Conference will be held in Hawaii in 2002.http://www.ipa-protea.org/2002Maui.htm. Check out the California Protea Association (CPA) www.CaliforniaProtea.com, (Secretary: Sharon Sprangle P.O. Box 2745, Vista, CA 92083), and The Protea Atlas Project http://protea.worldonline.co.za/.

Corkscrew Willow is a BIG YES for Designers

The curly branches included in your arrangement come from a deciduous tree that grows to 30 feet high with a 20 foot spread. Portland Oregon which is were thiese branches came from, abounds with Corkscrew Willows, much to the delight of flower arrangers and florists! The gnarled and contorted, gray-brown branches twist and spiral upward in a corkscrew pattern… creating a fascinating silhouette. They are undoubtedly fodder for a myriad of creative interpretations.

This fast growing species is native to China and Korea… the cultivar was introduced in the United States during the early 20th Century. If you are thinking that it would be great to have one in your backyard, make sure your tree gets plenty of sunlight and water. They tolerate most soils, prefer a winter chill, grow well and fast in zones 5 to 9, and are easily started from cuttings or seed. Stake and train young Willows, and prune out dead or damaged branches in summer or fall. (Botanical Name: Salix matsudana tortuosa)

Willows are planted on the banks of streams and rivers to prevent erosion, and as wind breakers. Their invasive roots compete with nearby plants for moisture and nutrients, so gardening underneath is difficult. Make sure you plant them away from sewer lines and other inground systems!

The softwood branches of Willow shrubs are often bent into furniture or baskets; the Pussy Willow is readily used in dried flower arrangements; and poets and songwriters have immortalized Willows for the moods they inspire by their long hanging branches (Corkscrew Willow branches don't hang), their bottle-brush like flowers, and their light feathery leaves. But like everything else in life, the willow is not perfect. Brittle, breakable limbs and continual leaf litter can be a problem, and watch out for aphids, beetles, caterpillars, and scale.

Hala From Hawaii

Your Flax or Hala leaves represent another creative design element. These leaves came from Hawaii, but this species probably hales from New Zealand. Flax is prized for its evergreen foliage and dusky red nectar filled flowers. Numerous new cultivars and hybrids are available with colorful red, bronze, salmon and cream-colored leaves. If you can imagine it… it probably already exists somewhere.

In New Zealand, the Maoris have used Flax for centuries in rope, baskets and clothing. It was also the basis of a substantial linen industry in the early 1900's. The nectar filled flowers produced by some varieties have always been an important source of food for New Zealand native birds. And now, Flax is also highly prized by floral designers for its versatility in arrangements. Its form can be changed from whole leaves, to ribbons and slits, and of course it's very long lasting.

New Zealand Flax can reach 8 to 10 feet with upright 3 to 4 inch wide leaves. The orange-red flowers form on tall stalks in late spring. Nurseries generally grow this plant from seed and will showcase many varieties; often one planting bed will feature many varieties. The toughness of this plant is evidenced by the variety of its habitats, from beaches, river mouths, on coastal cliffs with salt sea spray, to alpine lakes. Flax is ubiquitous throughout the New Zealand landscape!

Phormium Tenax (botanical name) was first discovered in 1773 during Captain Cook's second expedition to the South Pacific. It was collected by Johann and George (his son) Forster, and officially described in 1776. No doubt it was one of the first plants noticed upon landing, possibly on black sandy beaches north of Christchurch. In 1871 Phormium Tenax was recorded growing in San Francisco gardens, and by 1903 J.F. Cowell, the author of the section on Phormium in Bailey Cyclopedia of American Horticulture reported that "Phormium plants are popular out door subjects in California." Flax migrated from the collectors garden into mainstream gardening, thanks in part to landscape architects like Thomas Church who used many cultivars extensively in his 1950's and 60's gardens.